A summary of current (Aug 2022) Apple Chips

I’m stepping back into this blog, slowly.

Rumors are strong (and likely accurate) that the iPhone 14 will for the first time ever use different chips between the two tiers (regular iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro). I imagine what started as a concern for chip production capacity (pandemic, new process node) Apple decided not to risk insufficient supply of the A16 for both product lines. So they will stick with the A15 for the iPhone 14. There are still upgrades inside: the iPhone 13 has A15 with 4GB RAM and LPDDR4X, and the A15 in the iPhone 14 will have 6GB RAM with LPDDR5 (source from March 2022).

i thought it would be a good time to just note down what chips Apple is using right now. All production is with TSMC to the best of my knowledge.

• Apple Watch SE: (S5), Apple Watch 7: (S7)
• Apple TV 4K (A12)
• iPhone 13/SE: (A15)
• iPad Education: (A13), iPad Air: (M1), iPad Mini: (A15), iPad Pro: (M1)
• Apple Studio Display (monitor): (A13)
• Mac MIni: (M1), Macbook Air: (M1) and (M2), Macbook Pro, (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max) and Mac Studio: (M1 Ultra)
• AirPods / AirPods Max: (H1)
• (Their Mac Pro tower still uses Xeon from Intel)

So split up by chip series:

• S5, S7
• A12, A13, A15
• M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2
• H1

Split up by process Node:

• ?H1, unclear what process node
• 7nm FinFET N7: A12, S5
• 7nm FinFET N7P: A13, S7
• 5nm FinFET N5: M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra
• 5nm FinFET N5P: A15, M2

iPhone 14 CPU

The M2 as noted above is in a slightly more advanced process node, N5P, and the chip architecture of the M2 is based on the A15 as well. That’s of interest, basically the Mac product line is inheriting the work of the iPhone CPU designs. Maybe in a few years the teams will be more in sync but for now the Mac chips are one generation “behind” whatever the most recent iPhones released that same Fall are from.

It was expected that the A16 would be built on TSMC’s 4nm FinFET (N4) process node but it seems more and more likely that the A16 will also be on the 5nm FinFET N5P. So the advantages will have to come entirely from newer design and the faster LPDDR5 RAM. Whatever advantages the new iPhone 14 design will bring (new camera, no notch but still with two punch holes), this is clearly an “off” year for TSMC and Apple. The devices will sell really well again owing to the redesigns but it was clever (?or due to circumstances they were forced to) from a business standpoint for iPhone to keep the CPU changes less extreme. They will increase profit margins and avoid painful shortages, ensuring financial success.

End of 2022

The expected chips in production by end of 2022 (and realistically they’re already producing the new ones) would then be:

• S5, S8
• A12, 13, A15 (iPad Mini, iPhone SE), A15* (new RAM, for iPhone 14), A16*
• M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, M2
• H1

No new process nodes. the M1 Pro/Max/Ultra would be phased out for the M2 Pro/Max/Ultra.

Competition

As an aside, Qualcomm will have their Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 early 2023 and this is the first time that Qualcomm might have a chance to meet or exceed Apple’s chips in different benchmarks.

Qualcomm first released the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 on Samsung’s 4nm node, which didn’t live up to the hype. For their mid-cycle refresh that they do every year, they chose to actually switch foundries so with Samsung 8+ Gen 1 they went to TSMC’s 4 nm node.

I’m not sure why Qualcomm was able to make use of the TSMC’s 4nm node but Apple can’t for their chips. Maybe it also was a business decision by Apple, to again, not only ensure there aren’t any shortages but to keep profit margins high by not using TSMC’s bleeding edge process.

This is My Next… unsubscription from a YouTube channel

My next piece was going to be about conflict minerals but I saw a video that I just had to rail on.

The Verge has been around for a few years now. I can say that rarely it publishes some great pieces, but the vast majority of its pieces/videos are not so much on the verge of something (provocative? insightful?) as they are pretentious (at best) and vapid (at worst). Let’s take a look at the latest This is my next piece, about tablets.

I am an admitted Android fan, but I’m not hating on the video for picking the iPad as the best tablet. Honestly, I have a strong respect for Apple’s contributions to technology and continued devotion to realize their vision. At times I even love Apple. Yes, the two (loving Google and Android) are not mutually exclusive. I have switched to OS X as my primary desktop OS (with some Windows 8.1), though for phones/tablets I still prefer Android. I have extensive use of a 3rd gen iPad. It’s a great tablet. More regularly though I use my Nexus 7 (or Nexus 10), and those are great too. The point is, I’m a fan of all tablets.

That video? It’s awful. I just don’t get how The Verge is going to stay credible like this. Marquees Brownlee, one guy, does far better work, and he doesn’t have anywhere near the amount of time/money/resources that The Verge appears to have. Granted Marquees does videos exclusively, and The Verge is sprawled over everything trying to be a better Engadget/Gizmodo/TechCrunch, but video pieces are pretty important.

So what’s my problem with this video? I’ll bullet point it.

• For the iPad, when he says I shouldn’t feel compelled to buy an accessory (time: 1:26) “if that’s not how you want to use your tablet.” I mean, isn’t that obvious? That’s like recommending a TV and telling me that I shouldn’t feel compelled to use a Bluray player with it, if that’s not how I want to use my TV. Okay, thanks? That was a vapid assessment. Everything else (describing the tablet, explaining what tablets are good for) I can understand, but telling someone you don’t need to buy accessories, is worse than redundant, it’s condescending (if you can imagine him saying that to someone new to technology).
• Telling us that Samsung tablets all suffer from the same software issues that make them confusing and frustrating to use, and then not mention specifics (just some, please!) is frustrating and also confusing when you consider how helpful the iPad assessment was. I mean it’s obvious from the prior minute that he knows how to list features important to him, what he likes about the iPad. Then why can’t he be more helpful than “software issues?” Okay, so ‘software issues’ and ‘plastic feel’ don’t make up for great screen and sometimes-included pens on the Samsung tablet. But, how’s the battery life on the Samsung? What’s the app ecosystem like? (Should I assume software issues just means battery life and ecosystem?) What advantages does the Samsung tablet have over the iPad, and vice-versa?
• And then the Nexus 7, which has “more software issues than the iPad Mini,” again, not very helpful. Especially when the seasoned Android users can see you’re running Android L which makes one question whether you were using a stable build.
• Microsoft has Surface 3 but it also has its Windows Phone tablets that Nokia is putting out. You mentioned that it’s a better desktop, but you failed to explain why that is (could’ve added, “because it’s running Windows 8.1, not a tablet OS”). I hope it’s not because he thinks his audience should know this, because just 1-2 min earlier the video seemed to be targeted to non-tech consumers (‘this is what a tablet is for’).
• The time discrepancy of video time devoted to each device: iPad=40 seconds; iPad Mini=20s, Samsung=17s, Microsoft=18s, Nexus 7=16s

Finally, as the point of this piece is to make a final recommendation as to what tablet you should buy, I was very surprised by the recommendation. Oh not that they recommended an iPad, I’m fine with that. It’s what he (or they) think is best, sure, fine, no problem.

But they should have qualified it. For the Nexus 7 he qualifies that it’s more than one year old (2:44 in the video), and it is clearly mentioned as a disadvantage. It’s funny, then, that the video series called “This Is My Next..” fails to mention that the iPads are due for an update a mere 1-2 months from the date of publish of this video (Aug 8 2014). Sure if someone needs a tablet RIGHT NOW, they recommend an iPad. But it’s irresponsible of them to not at least qualify it with an, “but hey, if you don’t need one right away, why not wait a couple of months when it’s widely expected that a new iPads with Touch ID sensors are going to hit the market.” That’s not a minor update, it’s a genuinely useful update to an already great device.

I really have to wonder at what’s going on at The Verge. Is their goal to make make pretty videos or do they want to make useful videos? By the way, useful does not mean selecting a studio (or maybe your home?) with wonderfully hipster-ish and pretentious old appearing copies of famous novels or protractors, etc. All of that may be pleasant to look at, but focus more on substance.

By the way, I know unsubscription isn’t a word, it’s just to be as dramatic as “This is my next..”

Why the Moto X is the best [Android] phone of 2013

The Moto X was not a success, at least not in the United States. The plant in Texas where the phones were assembled will be shut down. What this means for future Moto X type devices and how quick the turnaround is for the Moto Maker is uncertain.

This is a shame. As a diehard Android fan this new Motorola and the Moto X were wonderful advancements. I have used the Galaxy S3, S4, and S5. I have used the HTC One X, One and played with the One M8. I have used all Nexus phones extensively. Quite simply, none of those phones mean as much as the Moto X does to me. I’m not going to explain why. I’m just going to list out the things that make the Moto X so amazing.

Fixing the Civic

So I own a 2002 Civic. We bought it used with 130k miles on it. The former owners were the only owners and they took care of it well. We’ve only put about 2k on it since purchasing it >6 months ago. Like most Hondas it seems like this car can run forever.

A while back the ‘check engine’ light went on in the car. I take good care of the car (oil changes regularly, etc.) so I knew it wasn’t something so ‘simple.’

The Moto X and Nexus 5 pre-release thoughts

Prior to August 2013, I would always say, “I only buy Nexus phones.” I have owned and used the Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, and Nexus 4. I was ready to buy whatever Google would announce as the next Nexus. I have been pleased with all that the Nexus devices bring, and willing to forgive what they usually lack (primarily decent cameras). However this past summer Motorola announced the Moto X, and it changed everything.

The Moto X is the first real contender to a Nexus device. Why? Mostly because of what the Moto X brings, feature-wise. But also because I recognize that the weaknesses of the Nexus line are not going away anytime soon. What follows is a brief overview of why I think the Moto X is my next device (on contract, even!).

I will also compare to the Nexus 5 with whatever information is available currently as the Nexus 5 is the competing device for me.

Galaxy Nexus, Extended

I recently purchased an extended battery for my Galaxy Nexus, I thought I would detail my experience.

First, my phone is the Galaxy Nexus GT-i9250, this is the GSM version similar to the one you could purchase at one point on the Google Play Store (now replaced by the chronically out of stock Nexus 4).

Stock Battery Experience:

The GSM Galaxy Nexus (GT-i9250) battery is 1750 mAh. For comparison, the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 both have batteries somewhere in the 1400 mAh range.

iOS6 Maps

As many are aware, with iOS6, Apple favored their own mapping solution over Google’s. “The Amazing iOS 6 Maps” has been lampooned by many, and a Tumblr has been dedicated to some of its more obvious faults. Apple has even apologized.

Does it really deserve the hate some give it? The answer is, it depends on your needs. For example, the new map lacks a lot of functionality the original program had, such as directions via public transit. But it gains in other ways, such as turn-by-turn voice prompted navigation. It loses Street View, but it “gains” Flyover.

The other problem people have cited with the new Maps is simply, incorrect data. Objects in the vector map are not located where they are in the real world. Examples? What follows are some pictures I’ve taken with my sister’s iPad 3 of different places around Chicago.

Example 1: A Restaurant that’s closed

So here we have a restaurant, Moretti’s. Let’s touch that icon.

the iPhone 5

My dad upgraded his iPhone 3GS to an iPhone 5 (white, AT&T, 32GB) this past week. I helped him transfer over his data to the new phone, and briefly (a couple of hours) played with it. I was deeply impressed and pleased with how easy my dad was able to move his data from the 3GS to the 5.

It Simply Worked

If anyone is curious, my dad’s iPhone 3GS was running iOS5 and backing up to iCloud. I also then backed it up to iTunes. I was worried that when restoring to iPhone 5 (which is running iOS6), there’d be a problem given the different versions of the operating system. My dad did not want to upgrade his iPhone 3GS to iOS6 as he wants to retain Google Maps (he plans to use this phone internationally, as he can now unlock it and use a regular ol’ SIM). But the restore process, even if the backed up data was under iOS5, was PAINLESS. I simply turned the new iPhone 5 on (which was already charged), clicked on “Restore …” from a previous iPhone, and plugged the iPhone 5 into iTunes and the restore process began. The basic data took no more than 5 minutes, and the 140+ apps my dad has on his iPhone 3GS (yes, I know, he is a hoarder) took a while longer, but also went smoothly. (EDIT: Disappointingly the backup did not include any of the WiFi passwords my dad had saved including his home, his work and his place of worship; this is something that Android does backup into your cloud).

Not everyone I know had this experience. Some people lost their contacts, etc. Some of those people used iCloud, but I don’t know if that is why it happened. Why didn’t I just use the iCloud backup? I still don’t trust Apple knows how to do the cloud well *cough* .Mac, MobileMe *cough*) and also I did not want to download nearly 4GB of data in the restore process.

Now, what about the phone? What follows is a die hard Android fan’s impression of Apple’s new phone.

First Thoughts on Jelly Bean

Thanks to the ClockworkMod team I had a very easy, painless way to install Jelly Bean. I was an idiot though, and in spite of backing up my ICS ROM I forgot to enable root keeper, thus I lost root. Good news, the main reason I had root was to allow 3G Video Chat over Talk which seems to be working on this Jelly Bean build, so no problems.

Jelly Bean:

HSPA+ on the Galaxy Nexus

My wife was at the local Michael’s Crafts store shopping for crafty things (?). Anyway I was browsing the internet on my Galaxy Nexus and I noticed things were loading pretty fast. My phone was registering as getting HSPA+ (the “H” next to the signal bar, as opposed to ‘”3G”).

So I ran a speed test using Speedtest.net. Ah-mazing:

This is AT&T’s network at Village Crossing (where Niles, Skokie and Lincolnwood intersect). I should clarify that I am running on the stock radio (XXLA2), though occasionally I will run around with the North American radio UGKL1 or UGKK7. Try new radios here.

This test was done basically at the same time as when I took the picture of my dock (previous post). The upload speed is ridiculously slow, but of course I get different download/upload speeds at different places around Chicago.